July 2000

After working for six years with Paco de Lucía (he sings on the guitarist's latest recording, "Luzía"), Duquende offers us "Samaruco," a recording that was three years in the making, and includes classical styles of flamenco singing.

You made this recording with Cañizares and Paco de Lucía, and the producer is Isidro Muñoz (composer and guitarist, brother of Manolo Sanlúcar).

There's a certain kind of communication through music. They like the way I sing, and one thing leads to another, unintentionally...

Paco called you one day to work with him. How did that call make you feel?

I was stunned. To work with Paco... It was like some huge and exaggerated thing.

What kind of recording did you want to make?

A flamenco recording, of course.

Are there any younger artists that you use as references or as comparisons, in order to define your recording?

I don't have too many references in younger artists. I pay much more attention to older singers: Mojama, Talega, Borrico...

Do you sit down and listen to old recordings?

Well, in recordings from people like Borrico, you find inspiration, and you try to pick up things from them that you enjoy.

What's it like for a singer to go on one of Paco de Lucía's international tours?

Paco and the rest of us rely on an inner strength. It's what gets you going in the morning, and it keeps you doing your best.

You spent a long time making this record.

Yeah, I was touring and working on other things. I recorded it bit by bit. Isidro was busy, too. The engineer was almost always José Luis Garrido, at Musitrón. The first things we recorded were the soleá and the alegría. The most recent ones were the bulería and the rumba.

Aren't you interested in other kinds of music?

Sure, any kind of music that's good, but not for singing it. I sing flamenco, and other people can sing other kinds of music better than I can.

In the recording you made with Tomatito, you included a song by Ray Heredia.

We wanted to pay homage out of admiration for him as a person and as a musician. He was great. He had a completely different style. Camarón is liking talking about our Father in heaven.

Does singing belong to the gitanos?

I think if you've got it, you've got it.

Can singing be learned?

You can learn to be funny, but not to sing. I started out really young, with Camarón's records. There were enthusiasts in my family, but no professionals. I never thought I'd be a singer, I just liked to sing. I started to work with a lot of flamenco artists. They'd call me onto the stage to sing.

You've recorded many different styles, while other singers record little more than bulerías and tangos.

Those are the most commercial styles, but if I did other things I'd look for another job. I like the seguiriya, the soleá, fandangos; there are a lot of different styles. It's my job as a singer.

Despite recording in a studio, the result is really intense,

Yeah, you have to be that way in a studio, and even when you're playing with friends. When the moment presents itself, you have to go all the way and commit yourself.

You appeared in the film "Flamenco" by Saura. Do you think the film is a good reflection of flamenco?

Yeah, nearly everything is there. You can never get it all, but it represents many artists. It's got life, and it's a nice film. I like all the artists in the film.

The songs on "Samaruco" are by Isidro Muñoz. Haven't you thought about writing your own lyrics?

No. Like I said, there are people that do those things better than me. Isidro is a much better writer. In concert I sing classic lyrics from the past.

The figure of Camarón casts a long shadow over the future generations of singers.

I see him as someone who left us great technique. Young singers are learning from it and singing better every day.

But people pay too much attention to Camarón. It seems that some young singers have only listened to Camarón.

No, I don't think so. If you like singing you end up listening to everyone. You have to love singing, and get into other singers. For me, having worked with Paco and Tomatito, Camarón's guitarists, is like a childhood dream come true. A child that started singing, and look where he is now.

At Flamenco-world.com you can listen to everything from Ketama to Niña de los Peines, and many people write us saying that they love old singing.

When flamenco hooks you, that's it brother! If you want to start listening to singing, Borrico's a hard one to listen to at first. You can start with Camarón. His singing is perfect; it's soulful, and it gets under your skin.

What are your favorite recordings of Camarón?

Like Raimundo Amador said, I like everything about Camarón, right down to his feet!

Daniel Muñoz

Translation: Norman Paul Kliman

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